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The Cherokee Nation existed before the United States and the State of Oklahoma. GROUP OF CHEROKEES WHO VISITED LONDON IN 1762 Self-Governance

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Self-Governance Treaties- Nation-to-Nation agreements “A treaty is, in its nature, a contract between two nations…is carried into execution by the sovereign power of the respective parties to the instrument.” Chief Justice Marshall1829

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Indian Self-Determination Policy recognizes the Indian governments’ rights to self-govern and administer their own programs and operations. Self-Governance

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The Secretary is prohibited from waiving, modifying, or diminishing in any way the trust responsibility of the United States with respect to Indian tribes and individual Indians that exists under treaties, Executive orders, other laws, or court decisions. Self-Governance